HP leads India’s PC market share even as shipments slip

NEW DELHI: US-based Hewlett Packard (HP) continues to lead the PC market with 33.8% share in Q2, 2017 even as the shipments fell 18.9% on quarter, according to research firm IDC.

HP Inc continue to lead the overall India traditional PC market with 33.8 percent share in Q2 2017, IDC in a Tuesday said, adding that company’s strong channel engagement and packaged offering of hardware, software and services for successful GST implementation made it as one of the preferred brands in India.

HP, however, recorded the highest overall consumer market share in the last 10 quarters.

The overall India traditional PC shipments for Q2 2017 stood at 1.75 million units, which is an 18.9 percent decline quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) and 18.0 percent over the same period last year, the firm in a statement added.

With the lack of fulfilment of special projects and slowness observed in government spending, the commercial PC market declined by 13.4 percent YoY and 15.3 percent QoQ in Q2 2017.

"Outlook on discretionary spending remained optimistic; however, the channel partners remained cautious and planned for de-stocking due to the impact of the GST implementation, which led to lesser sell-in for Q2 2017 quarter," Manish Yadav, Associate Research Manager, Client Devices, IDC India said.

"GST implementation has impacted the business in India even as the effect of demonetisation has subsided. Further, concerns related to new demand and new investment also turns as binding constraint on business sentiment," Yadav added.

Dell, impacted by GST rollout, remained second with 17.7 percent market share in the overall India traditional PC market in Q2 2017, according to IDC finding.

The research agency ranked Chinese brand Lenovo at third spot, with a 16.9 percent market share in the overall India traditional PC market in Q2 2017.

However, with the government apparently tightening the Chinese business in India in the wake of Dokhlam fiasco, China-based vendors including Lenovo may have an impact in the country in the coming quarters.

Several people ET spoke with about Ericsson’s India operations, including its current and former employees, said the Stockholm-based firm has reduced headcount in the last one year or so across functions, in line with its global restructuring.